Illuminated camp mast



NOV- 4, 1969 c. E. KLINGER ILLUMINATED CAMP MAST Filed Nov. 2, 1967 INVENTOR.

Q /M s E M. M M W. E. i B

United States Patent O 3,476,929 ILLUMINATED CAMP MAST Calvin E. Klinger, William Bown, 69 D. Edgewater Park, Bronx, N.Y. 10465 Filed Nov. 2, 1967, Ser. No. 680,185 Int. Cl. F21v 33/ 00 U.S. Cl. 24U-11.2 10 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLSURE A mast for use by a camper at his camp site to y one or more pennants which will identify the camper as well as signal an activity. The mast is a hollow tube having a ground penetrating point at its lower end and carrying at its top end a reflector cone including lenses and containing a light source for illuminating a pennant flying at the top of the mast. A halyard mounted on a pulley located just beneath the reector cone at the top of the mast serves to raise or lower the pennant.

This invention relates to a mast for use at a camp site to fly a pennant that will identify the camper at the site. Otherpennants may be utilized to signal a variety of camping activities, emergency, et cetera.

It is accordingly the primary object of this invention to provide a mast including a pulley and halyard for displaying one o r more pennants to be own at the top of the mast, the pennants being raised or lowered by the halyard Another object of this invention is to provide at the top of the mast a rellector cone housing an electric light which will illuminate the pennant at night.

A further object of this invention is to provide the reiiector cone with a supporting base plate which carries a plurality of lenses serving to focus the light passing therethrough directly onto the pennants flying therebeneath irrespective of Vwind direction.

Still another object of this invention is to provide detachable supporting means at the top of the mast to which the reflector base plate is detachably connected in a fixed non-rotative connection.

Further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that change may be made in the specic construction illustrated and described Within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the mast,

FIGURE 2 is a detail view partly in section of the reflector cone and associated structure at the top of the mast,

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the reflector cone,

FIGURE 4 is a combined grouping of various colored pennants for use with the mast,

FIGURE 5 shows a camper identifying pennant containing a campers coat-of-arms and identifying data.

FIGURE 6 shows a .pennant embodying the campers colors.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, a tubular metal mast 10 is formed in two sections 12 and 14 with the lower end of the upper section 14 provided with an extension 16 that telescopes within the upper end of the lower section 12 and preferably in-threaded engagement therewith. The lower end of the lower section 12 is ICC provided with a tapered preferably solid end 18 to facilitate insertion of the section 12 into the ground. At a suitable point above the tapered end 18 there is provided an opening 20 in the wall of section 12 which is located above ground level for a purpose to be hereinafter described. A double hook cleat 22 is attached to section 12 for attachment of a halyard 24 (which may or may not be endless) thereto. The upper section 14 is provided at its upper end with a flange 26 on which an arm 2S carrying a pulley 30 is pivotally mounted. The halyard 24 is mounted on pulley 30. Preferably the halyard 24 is made endless to insure that it will at all times be in engagement with the pulley 30. While only two sections 12 and 14 are shown, assembled to form mast 10 it is to be understood that the mast may be of any desired number of sections to provide a mast of any desired length or height. The mast 10 is easily assembled and is just as easily disassembled for storage.

Mounted on the upper end of the upper mast section 14 is a rellector cone 34 within which is an electric light bulb 36. The retlector cone 34 is formed of metal and is in an inverted position. The top or apex 38 of the cone 34 is rounded and the inside surface of the cone is provided with a reflecting surface 40. To support the reector cone 34 there is provided a base 42 that is circular and formed with an upstanding peripheral frusto-conical ange 44. The base 42 is itted within the lower open end of the retlector cone 34 such that the flange 44 is in complete abuttin-g engagement with the inside surface of the cone, as seen in FIGURE 2. Screws 46 secure the reflector cone 34 to the flange 44 of the base. Preferably the lower end portion ofthe reflector cone 34 extends below the base 42 to provide a protecting shirt 48 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

At the center of base 42 there is formed an upstanding cylindrical collar S0. Detachably mounted on the upper end of mast section 14 is a support sleeve 52 having a lower threaded portion 54 threadedly received within the upper end of mast section 14. The support sleeve 52-includes an upper sleeve section 56 and an intermediate integral support flange 58 that is formed square. As seen in FIGURE 2, the support ange 58 seats directly on the terminal end of mast section 14. The base 42 on its under side is formed with a central square depression or recess 60 which is complemental in shape to that ofthe support ange 58 to receive the same therein. Correspondingly, the collar 50 of base 42 receives in a snug fit the sleeve section 56. It is thus seen that the base 42 is provided a positive tixed non-rotating support on the support vsleeve 52 and is detachably secured to support flange 58 by one or more screws 62.

Provided in base 42 are four lens receiving openings 63 arranged in diametrically opposed pairs at 90 apart. Fitted in each opening 63 is a lens 64 that is held in place by a split spring ring `66, as shown in FIGURE 2. 'Ihe skirt 48 of reector cone 34 serves as a protective shield for the lenses 64.

Suitably mounted within sleeve section 56 of the support sleeve 52 is an electric light bulb socket 70 which electrically receives the light bulb 36. Attached to light socket are the conductors 72, 73 of an electric cable 74 which extends down through the mast 10 and out of the opening 20. A plug is attached to the outer end of cable 74 for connection to a source of electric supply. When so connected, light emanating from the light bulb 36 is reflected downwardly from the reecting surface 40 through the lenses 64 to illuminate the area around the mast 10.

The apex or rounded top 48 of the inverted reflector cone 34 carries a standard S0 which is rigidly secured thereto, and rotatably supported by the upper end of the standard 80, is a weather vane 82.

Provided for use with the campers mast is a plurality of ensigns or pennants each varying in color and when individually mounted on the halyard 24 and positioned at the top of the mast 10 will signal a message to any camper or visitor to the camp. Thus, pennant 84 is white and may have thereon the coat-of-arms of the camper indicating that he is at this particular camp site. The pennant 84 may also have thereon the name and address of the camper as shown on pennant 84a, FIGURE 5. The camper may also have a pennant bearing his colors such as shown by pennant 85, FIGURE 6. Either one or both of pennants 84a and 85 may be flown at one time along with any one of pennants 86, 87, 88, 89, 90. Thus, pennant 86 when own will signal that guests are welcome; pennant 87 when own will signal that a party is in progress; pennant 88 when flown will signal that those in the camp are resting; pennant 89 when flown will signal that the camper is boating; and pennant 90 when flown will signal that the camper has gone fishing. Obviously other pennants ditferently colored, multicolored and varying in shape may be used to signal other activities, request help for emergency, et cetera. The pennants 84 to 90, as seen in FIGURE 4, are shown mounted on a bar 92 and are individually removable therefrom for attachment to the halyard 24.

It is contemplated that the signal message conveyed by the use of the pennants will be standardized, described in a booklet and made available to all campers.

At night with the cable 74 plugged in to a source of electric supply the pennants on the halyard 24 will be illuminated by the light passing through the lenses 64. Where a particular camp site does not have electricity the cable 74 may be connected to an electric battery. It is to be understood that the electric light and reflector is entirely optional as the mast 10 and the pennants for use therewith may be marketed without the same.

While certain novel features of my invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A camping mast for llying one or more pennants comprising:

(a) a tubular mast,

(b) a ground penetrating tapered portion at the lower end of said mast,

(c) a base plate detachably and non-rotatably secured to the upper end of said mast,

(d) there being at least one lens receiving opening in said base plate,

(e) a lens secured in said opening,

(f) a rellector cone having an inner reecting surface mounted in supported engagement on said base plate,

(g) a socket for an electric light bulb supported on the upper terminal end of said mast and within said reilector cone,

(h) conductor means connected to said socket extending downwardly through said mast and outwardly thereof through an opening therein above said lower ground penetrating tapered portion for connection to a source of electric supply,

(i) a pulley supported at the upper end of said mast,

and

(j) a halyard mounted in said pulley for raising a pennant to the top of said mast, whereby light from the electric light bulb will be reflected downwardly from the rellector cone through said lens to illuminate the flying pennant therebeneath.

2. The mast of claim 1, including:

(a) a support sleeve having an upper sleeve section, an intermediate radial ange and a lower sleeve section,

(b) said lower sleeve section extending into the upper end of said mast and secured therein,

(c) said radial flange seating on the upper terminal end of said mast,

(d) an upstanding cylindrical collar on said base plate surrounding the upper sleeve section,

(e) said radial ange supporting said base plate, and

(f) fastener means detachably securing said base plate to said support Sleeve.

3. The mast of claim 2, wherein:

(a) said base plate is formed with an axial recess in its under side complemental to said radial ilange to receive the same,

(b) both said radial flange and said axial recess receiving the same being of polygonal form whereby said flange will support said base plate in a fixed nonrotative engagement,

(c) said base plate being circular, and

(d) an upstanding frusto-conical ange at the peripheral edge of said base plate.

4. The mast of claim 3, wherein:

(a) said reector cone at its apex is rounded to provide a closed top,

(b) said reflector cone being open at its lower end,

(c) said reector cone being supported by said frustoconical flange of said base plate engaging the inside surface of said rellector cone,

(d) removable fastener means securing said reector cone to said frusto-conical ange, and

(e) a lower end portion of said rellector cone extending below said base plate to provide a protective shield for said lens.

5. The mast of claim 4, wherein:

(a) said base plate is formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced lens receiving openings,

(b) a lens seated in each opening, and

(c) detachable locking means associated with each opening for securing the lens therein and to said base plate,

whereby said lenses surround the top of the mast to completely iluminate the flying pennant irrespective of its position as determined by wind direction.

6. The mast of claim 5, wherein said detachable means comprises:

(a) an annular groove in the wall of each lens opening adjacent to the peripheral edge portion of the lens seated in said opening, and

(b) a split spring ring positioned in each groove and bearing against the edge portion of the lens to securely hold the lens within its opening,

7. The mast of claim 6, including:

(a) a weather vane mounted on the top of said reflector cone.

8. The mast of claim 1, wherein said tubular mast comprises:

(a) a lower section,

(b) an upper section,

(c) a tubular extension at the lower end of the upper section having a telescoping fitted connection within the upper tubular end portion of the lower section,

(d) said lower section including at its lower end said ground penetrating tapered end portion.

9. The mast of claim 8, including:

(a) a radial flange on the upper section adjacent the upper terminal end thereof,

(b) an arm pivoted at one end to said radial flange, and

(c) the other end of said arm rotatively mounting said pulley.

10. The mast of claim 9, wherein:

(a) said tubular extension is externally threaded for threaded engagement with internal threads provided 5 6 in the inside wall portion of the upper tubular end 3,170,634 2/ 1965 Harling 240-81 portion of said lower section to provide said tele- 3,197,631 7/ 1965 Jensen 240-81 scoping tted connection.

NORTON ANSI-IER, Primary Examiner References Cited 5 R. W. ADAMS, Assistant Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,383,234 6/1921 Raguse 116-173 U-S- Cl- X-R- 2,360,420 10/1944 Hin 24o-1.2 116-1732240-41-1 

